Are you here to learn something or prove something?
Tweet It!
I just read an article by Jason Fried. Jason is a remarkable thinker, author (Getting Real, Remote, REWORK) and entrepreneur — and he often drops deep nuggets of wisdom.
In the article, Jason vulnerably shares how he would often be quick to respond to things he didn’t agree with.
"I used to be a hothead. Whenever anyone said anything, I’d think of a way to disagree. I’d push back hard if something didn’t fit my world-view.
It’s like I had to be first with an opinion — as if being first meant something."
Jason shares that the reflex to disagree came to a head in 2007 when Richard Saul Wurman (creator of the TED conference) called him out.
"He said 'Man, give it five minutes.' I asked him what he meant by that? He said, it’s fine to disagree, it’s fine to push back, it’s great to have strong opinions and beliefs, but give my ideas some time to set in before you’re sure you want to argue against them.
'Five minutes' represented 'think', not react.
He was totally right.
I came into the discussion looking to prove something, not learn something."
That last sentence really stood out to me, and I immediately added this line to my journal:
Are you here to learn something or prove something?
I realized how guilty I was of trying to push my own ideas onto others before fully understanding their perspective.
If you are familiar with Stephen Covey, this learning may ring a bell. It’s similar to Habit 5 in Stephen’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — a classic I like to come back to every few years.
Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
It’s been a hard lesson for me to learn, but being able to deeply listen — withholding judgment, analysis, and my own projections from past experience — is something I have found to be deeply important.
The Holstee Membership helps you keep front-of-mind important (but often not urgent) ideas. Join the thousands of people who have become members →
Dave Radparvar
Co-Founder, Holstee
Begin your day feeling grounded and inspired.
A free 30-day email series where we share the most impactful stories and ideas that have helped us on our journey to live a more meaningful life.
✌️ Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
“I’m in the midst of big life transitions at the moment, chasing book deals, relocating, taking risks, carving out a life that feels honest, so your emails have been a perfectly timed source of inspiration and reassurance.” Jo in London, Great Britain
"Love the emails! They are a great reset or what I would call mindful chiropractic adjustment to approaching the day. Thank you!" Laurie in Albuquerque, New Mexico
"I love the emails. They give me a new perspective and things to think about and apply in my life." Monica in Johannesburg, South Africa
"It's food for the soul and sets my spiritual compass in the right direction." Farahdiva Samsul in Assam, India
"Absolutely LOVE the daily emails. One of the only email subscriptions I read daily. Keep them coming!!" Adriana in New York, New York
"The emails are thought-provoking and uplifting. A little pause from the crazy happenings of modern life. A quick chance to reflect, smile, and think about a life lived mindfully." Pharan in Queensland, Australia
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the Mindfully Mailed series. Daily I await this little nugget of goodness to hit my inbox each day." Tambria in Shreveport, Louisiana
Welcome to Holstee
Living with intention is an ongoing practice, not a destination. Inspired by this, we’ve created a range of products to help you on your journey to live both fully and mindfully, including the Holstee Membership, Reflection Cards, and our recently-launched Reflection.app.
Welcome
This article is part of our series on the theme of Welcome.
EXPLORE Welcome →Shop Holstee
Inspiration and tools to help you live a more meaningful life.
VISIT THE SHOP →
